As a female and a totally new community member and new to guitarā¦ My own personal opinion is that I like a community without segregation.
I posted an intro and I started a learning log my first day here (only this week) and everyone has been very warm and welcoming. In my learning log I said that my first issue was my nails and I had to cut them to be able to get the chord without muting other strings. Maybe that is an issue that more women have, maybe men have it too, I donāt know but no one said anything to make me question it. Either way, maybe someone can learn from my mistakes in the future.
It is always difficult to put yourself out there in a new community and as a beginner.
I think the site does a good job of welcoming you also, I got that friendly little bot messaging me some tips at the start and a system message to guide me to fill out my profile or start a new topic.
I recall a very interesting thread about nails with questions from both genders. Us geezers got some really useful tips from the members who had more expertise on the subject. Yes our female members coached us on nail care. How to cut how to file, which direction and why. Which nail files were best and what care products should be used. Priceless !
I am sure some of the old timers will recall that post and it shows us men are not the experts here in all matters indeed not many and we need your help !
Hello everbody, and, wow, what an interesting discussion .
I havenāt seen this thread earlier, so to me, I think more or less everything important has already been said. There is no aspect left for me to mention .
To make it short: I absolutely love this community. Itās such a wonderful place to be. A bit like extended family (in a positive sense ).
Of course, Iāve noticed that the majority of the members are male. But Iām here to learn how to play the guitar. So sex/gender really doesnāt/shouldnāt matter. I never felt intimidated at any time.
And with regard to the OMs - I will definitely change my place from the audience to the stage when I feel ready .
So trueā¦ since joining this community as a beginner guitar player Iāve learned a lot from the females posting in the community and have a lot of respect for themā¦ Iāve learned from the questions they have raised, the responses they have given to questions, the feedback that I have received from them and from watching their AVoYP performances.
This reminds me of a question raised on the forum a few months ago:
I did refer the OP to have a listen to Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi after doing a bit of research but it would be good if maybe the learn more page included a list of other blues artists to have a listen to such as Bonnie and Susan as it would be particularly useful if youāre not familiar to the genre.
Iām a new player, a woman and an old dog! Triple whammy now I consider it. But it never crossed my mind not to use the forum and Iāve certainly not noticed anything other than encouragement and welcomes. As Iāve said before on the forum this is my 3rd attempt to learn. Iām so happy that this time its happening and a lot of it is thanks to Justin.
Happy strumming one and all
Wow, everyone! Very cool points here - and itās great to see you support a unique, diverse Community! Thatās the way to go.
Instead of thinking about gender or whatever āsegregationā it is, which could cause even more intimidation, maybe we should brainstorm which discussion areas deserve more attention and āfuelā here in the Community!
Maybe we need some new threads discussing issues that werenāt still raised here and addressing specific struggles. Maybe we still have a lot of work to do to encourage more students to start new threads!
Please keep your thoughts and feedback coming! Iāll count on our super guides @Richard_close2u, @LievenDV, and @DavidP to organize all the main points so we discuss them when Justin is back from Italy.
This is an interesting topic, but I donāt agree that a separate group for women is the answer. I understand the feeling of intimidation only too well. But that intimidation, at least in my case, originates in my head. I lurked on the forum for a long time and when I finally asked a beginner question, the amount of support, encouragement and advice I got was really gratifying. Iām way too intimidated to post a video or do the OM events. But thatās nobodyās issue but mine, not the fact that there are more men than women. I admit I like to see other women on here. At least then I feel that Iām not crazy thinking I can learn to play at this stage in life.
Iāve also noticed that a lot of questions that are asked also pertain to me as a beginner, without them having to be gender specific. Some of them have been questions I was too intimidated to ask , in case I sounded stupid. Participation reduces the intimidation.
So no. No womens section. Weād lose so much camaraderie and knowledge to have the forum divided by gender. Besides weāre all here for the music, the joy of learning something new, conquering the dreaded F chord, all the myriad little victories. The frustrations and victories are genderless, as should be the forum. Sorry I got a little long winded. Itās just that I totally understand the OPs question.
This female says please please do NOT go for segregation. Can we not just all be human beings trying to learn guitar, some better or worse than others, but thatās the same with everything in life. Either on this or the old forum Iāve NEVER seen anything designed to intimidate women, and personally I hate to see how men are so quickly vilified nowadays - Iāve met plenty women in my life who like to intimidate and bully other women, itās not a āmaleā trait. I feel that in most cases we feel intimated not because someoneās doing anything in particular, but because we feel inadequate or lacking ourselves, but even though weāre living in a period when people tend to think the wider world should bend to their needs, I believe this is actually not helpful, and a much better and healthier approach is to develop oneās own mental resilience such that you have a strong stable sense of yourself and build your own self-confidence. If the road outside is covered with stones we donāt demand that somebody comes and changes it, we put shoes on and walk on it anyway. And feeling a bit out of your depth skillwise on a forum such as this is a good incentive for working harder to improve your skills, if you do feel self-conscious about asking anything.
I think you make excellent points, @lindamc, and very well-said. I know youāve been around for a while (since the old forum!) but I just wanted to say welcome in making your first post here . Hope to hear more from you!
I echo the above comments. I am female and just learning guitar at 58 years old. It can definitely feel intimidating, but Iām having a great time and learning so much. I enjoy reading comments/blogs from everyone. For me it makes for a more fulfilling experienceā¦ but itās also great to see other female comrades out there sharing in the enjoyment/ challenges of learning a new hobby.
Agree with Lindamc and Deirdre totally. Iām a girl and i donāt want a separate section. I love reading everyoneās experiences. There is so much good will, support and advice out there i want to tap into all of it and learn from everyone. I have never felt intimidated and iām just someone who plays at home. No gigs or open mics just sofa and with lots to learn. As someone else said weāre all just guitarists trying to play like our heroes. Mark Knopfler anyone? Got a way to go!
Is this not an issue of confidence rather than gender? Iād hate to think that the women here would all gravitate to a āsafe spaceā for women and not be more a part of the wider community on here. I donāt want that. Some of the best advice Iāve had or read has been from women. Iām a big believer that the only stupid question is the one you donāt ask. So please donāt be intimidated asking your own questions. If you come across any sort of misogyny, report them to admin. If I see any, Iād be on them like seagulls on a pack of French fries. Playing guitar as a beginner is intimidating for me too. I wonāt play in front of people yet and Iām not terrible at it. Thereās a certain type of vulnerability for many of us as learners. I experience it and Iām a big burly bloke. Itās not a gender thing, so please letās not make it one.
EDIT: Iād like to acknowledge though that as a white male, itās easy to be blind to many things I havenāt been on the receiving end of. So I hope Iām correct in communicating what I believe to be true.
.
.
).
.
. Hope to hear more from you!